RT Article
T1 Entheogens in a Religious Context: The Case of the Santo Daime Religious Tradition: with Ron Cole-Turner, “Entheogens, Mysticism, and Neuroscience”; William A. Richards, “Here and Now: Discovering the Sacred with Entheogens”; G. William Barnard, “Entheogens in a Religious Context: The Case of the Santo Daime Religious Tradition”; and Leonard Hummel, “By Its Fruits? Mystical and Visionary States of Consciousness Occasioned by Entheogens.”
JF Zygon
VO 49
IS 3
SP 666
OP 684
A1 Barnard, G. William
LA English
PB Wiley-Blackwell
YR 2014
UL https://www.ixtheo.de/Record/1827965037
AB This essay first draws upon the work of William James and others to propose a nonphysicalistic understanding of the relationship between the brain and consciousness in order to articulate a philosophical perspective that can understand entheogenic visionary/mystical experiences as something other than hallucinations. It then focuses on the Santo Daime tradition, a religious movement that began in Brazil in the early part of the twentieth century, to provide an example of the personal and social ramifications of taking an entheogen (ayahuasca) within a disciplined religious context. The essay claims that the Santo Daime is one example of a contemporary mystery school; gives a brief history of the development of this religion; discusses the key theological assumptions of this movement; investigates the important role played by visionary/mystical experiences within this religion; underscores the centrality of healing and spiritual transformation for members of this tradition; and ends with an examination of the crucial significance of spiritual discipline within this entheogenically based religion.
K1 visionary/mystical experiences
K1 Transformation
K1 spiritual disciplines
K1 Huston Smith
K1 Santo Daime
K1 mystery school
K1 William James
K1 Entheogen
K1 Consciousness
K1 Ayahuasca
DO 10.1111/zygo.12109